Battle of Copenhagen (1801)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For the battle of 1807 see Battle of Copenhagen (1807)

First Battle of Copenhagen
Part of War of the Second Coalition
The Battle of Copenhagen, as painted by Nicholas Pocock. British line is diagonally across the foreground, the city of Copenhagen in the background and the Danish line between. The ships in the left foreground are British bomb vessels.
Date 2 April 1801 Location Copenhagen roads Result British victory
Combatants
United Kingdom of Great Britain	Denmark-Norway
Commanders
Admiral Sir Hyde Parker Lord Nelson	Olfert Fischer, Steen Bille
Strength
Nelson: 12 ships of the line, 5 frigates, 7 bombs, 6 others Parker (reserve): 8 ships of the line	Fischer: 7 ships of the line, 10 others Bille: 17 ships, 1 land battery
Casualties
264 killed, 689 wounded	1,600-1,800 killed and wounded (reported) 12 ships captured, 2 ships sunk, 1 ship exploded.

War of the Second Coalition
1st Stockach –Cassano – 1st Zürich – Montebello – Trebbia – Novi – Bergen – 2nd Zürich – Castricum – Genoa – 2nd Stockach – Marengo – Hochstadt – Hohenlinden – Copenhagen – Algeciras – Alexandria

Gunboat War
Copenhagen (1801) – Copenhagen (1807) – Zealand Point – Christiansø – Anholt – Lyngør

The naval Battle of Copenhagen (Danish: Slaget på Reden) was fought on April 2, 1801 by a British fleet under the command of Admiral Sir Hyde Parker, against a Dano-Norwegian fleet anchored just off Copenhagen. The main attack was led by Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson, who famously disobeyed Parker's order to withdraw and destroyed many of the Dano-Norwegian ships before Denmark-Norway agreed to a truce.

Contents 1 Background 2 Battle 3 Aftermath 4 Ships involved 4.1 United Kingdom 4.2 Denmark-Norway 5 References

[edit] Background

The battle was the result of multiple failures of diplomacy in the latter half of 1800 and the beginning of 1801 during the Napoleonic wars. One of Great Britain's principal advantages against France was naval superiority and its ability to control sea traffic to France. The eccentric Russian Tsar Paul, after having been a British ally, arranged an Armed Neutrality of Scandinavia, Prussia, and Russia to enforce free trade. This was perceived by the United Kingdom to be very much in the French interest and a serious threat to her existence, particularly because it threatened the supply of timber and naval stores from Scandinavia as the league was hostile to the British blockade.

In early 1801, the British government assembled a fleet at Great Yarmouth, with the goal of intimidating or forcing Denmark-Norway into withdrawing from the Armed Neutrality. This needed to be done before the Baltic Sea thawed and released the Russian fleet from its bases at Kronstadt and Reval (now Tallinn), which could then be combined with the Swedish and Dano-Norwegian fleets to form a formidable force of up to 123 ships-of-the-line. The fleet was under the command of Admiral Sir Hyde Parker with Vice-Admiral Lord Nelson, then in poor favour owing to his activities with the Hamiltons, in second-in-command. Parker (aged 61) had just married an eighteen year old and was reluctant to leave. Prompted by Nelson, a private note from St Vincent, the First Lord of the Admiralty, caused the fleet to sail from Yarmouth on 12 March. It reached the Skaw (Danish: Skagen) on 19 March where they met a British diplomat who told them that an ultimatum had been refused.

The Admiralty had instructed Parker to frustrate the Armed Neutrality, by force if necessary. He was a cautious person and had moved slowly. He wanted to blockade the Baltic despite the danger of the combination of fleets; Nelson wanted to ignore Denmark and Sweden (who were both reluctant partners in the alliance) and sail to the Baltic to fight the Russians. In the end Nelson was able to persuade Sir Hyde to attack the Danish fleet currently concentrated off Copenhagen, where they arrived on 30 March. Planned naval support for the Danes from Karlskrona, in Sweden, could not show up because of adverse winds. The Prussians had only minimal naval forces and could not be expected to assist.

An attack on the Danish fleet would have been difficult as they had been arranged in a very strong position, and Parker's slowness had allowed them to prepare their positions well. Most of the Danish ships were not fitted for sea and arranged with some hulks (old ships, no longer in service at sea, but still powerfully armed) and floating batteries as a line of floating batteries off the eastern coast of the island of Amager, in front of the city in the King's Channel. The northern end of the line terminated at the Tre Kroner (Three Crown) forts armed with 68 guns (equal to the armament of a large ship-of-the-line). North of there, in the entrance to Copenhagen harbour, were two ships-of-the-line, a large frigate, and two brigs, all rigged for sea, and two more hulks. The water between the Danish line and the shore was covered by batteries, and the channel further out to sea was narrow owing to a large shoal, the Middle Ground. The British had no reliable charts or pilots, so Captain Hardy spent most of the night of the 31st March taking soundings in the channel up to the Danish line. Despite this the British ships did not locate the deepest part of the channel properly and kept too far to seaward. Fixed batteries had a significant advantage over shipborne cannon owing to their greater stability, and the Danes were able to reinforce their ships during the battle (including the replacement of a captain at one point). On the other hand, their ships were a motley collection, many of them small, and if engaged by the whole of Nelson's force, outgunned.

[edit] Battle

Nelson wanted a pre-emptive show of force, but was overruled by Parker and demands were made by a single frigate. The Dano-Norwegians refused to negotiate.

Parker had given Nelson twelve ships-of-the line, those with the shallowest drafts, and all the smaller ships in the fleet and he stayed with the remainder of the fleet to the north-east of the battle, screening it from external interference and moving towards Copenhagen to engage the northern defences. One of Nelson's ships, the Glatton, was commanded by William Bligh of Bounty fame. Nelson's plan was for the British ships to approach the weaker, southern end of the Danish defences in a line parallel to the Danish one. As the foremost ship drew alongside a Danish ship, it would anchor and engage that ship. The remainder of the line would pass outside until the next ship drew alongside the next Danish ship, and so on. The frigate Desiree with small gun-brigs would rake the Danish line from the south, and a force of frigates, commanded by Captain Riou of the Amazon, would attack the northern end of the line. The Tre Kroner fortress would be assaulted with troops once the Danish line of ships had been subdued. Bomb vessels would sit outside the British line and bombard the Danes over it. Even should the stronger, northern defences not be subdued, the destruction of the southern ships would be enough to allow the bomb vessels to approach within range of the city and force negotiation.

With a southerly wind on the 1 April, Nelson picked his way through the shoals. However, the Agamemnon ran aground before entering the channel, and took no part in the battle, and then the Russell and Bellona ran aground on the Middle Ground, severely restricting the part they would be able to play, requiring hurried changes in the line and weakening its northern end.

The Danish batteries started firing at 10:40 a.m. and the battle continued for about four hours. Once the British line was in place there was very little manoeuvring. The British ships anchored by the stern about a cable (240 yards) from the line of Danish ships and batteries, which was relatively long range, and broadsides were exchanged until a ship ceased firing. The bombardment from both sides was very heavy. The British encountered heavier resistance than they expected, partly because they had not spotted the low-lying floating batteries, and partly because of the gallantry with which the Danes fought. The northern Danish ships, which were rigged and manned, did not enter the battle, even though Parker's squadron was approaching only very slowly owing to the wind direction.

Parker would have been able to see little of the battle owing to gun smoke, though he could see two British ships flying distress signals, and another aground. Thinking that Nelson might be being fought to a stand-still, but would not feel able to retreat without orders (the Articles of War demanded that all ranks do their utmost against the enemy in battle), Parker told his flag captain, "I will make the signal of recall for Nelson's sake. If he is in condition to continue the action, he will disregard it; if he is not, it will be an excuse for his retreat and no blame can be imputed to him." Nelson ordered that the signal be acknowledged, but not repeated. He turned to his flag Captain, Foley, and said "You know, Foley, I only have one eye — I have the right to be blind sometimes," and then holding his telescope to his blind eye, said "I really do not see the signal!" If any of the other captains saw the conflicting signals, they ignored Parker's. Nelson's second-in-command, Rear Admiral Thomas Graves, repeated the signal, but in a place invisible to most other ships while keeping Nelson's 'Close action' signal at his masthead. Riou, who could not see Nelson's flagship, the Elephant, did obey Parker's signal and withdrew his force, then attacking the Tre Kroner fortress. This exposed them to heavy fire, in which he was killed.

It was at this time that the battle swung decisively to the British as their superior gunnery told. The dozen southernmost Danish ships had started to fall silent owing to the damage sustained, and the fighting moved northward: by 1:50p.m. several Danish ships were reported to have struck their colours, sunk, or were burning. This left the way open to the British bomb vessels to approach Copenhagen. In addition, the reinforcements of the ships from the shore batteries were causing the latter to become ineffective. The Nyborg tried to leave the line with the Aggershuus in tow, but both sunk. The most northerly ship, the frigate Hjaelperen, successfully left. The Danish commander, Olfert Fischer, moved from the Dannebrog at 11:30a.m. when it caught fire, to the Holsteen. Once the Infødsretten immediately north of the Holsteen struck its colours at about 2:30p.m., he moved on to the Tre Kroner fortress. There he lightly engaged with three of Parker's ships, which had been able to tack to within range. By this time only two or three of the Danish ships were reported to be still fighting. Perhaps because of inexperienced crews, several Danish ships fired on British boats sent out to them after their officers had signalled their surrender. Rather than send in fireships to burn these ships, Nelson sent a note with a Danish speaking officer under a flag of truce to the Dano-Norwegian regent, Crown Prince Frederik, who was watching the battle from the ramparts of the Citadel. The note read:

To the Brothers of the Englishmen, the Danes:

Vice-Admiral Lord Nelson has been commanded to spare Denmark, when she no longer resists. The line of defence which covered her shores has struck to the British flag: but if firing is continued on the part of Denmark, he must set on fire all the prizes he has taken, without having the power of saving the men who have so nobly defended them. The brave Danes are the brother, and never should be the enemies, of the English.

Some British officers thought the offer of a truce a skilful ruse-de-guerre, and some later Danish historians have suggested that Nelson would have lost the battle if it had not been adopted. Though no British ships were lost, many were severely damaged. The Tre Kroner fortress was still very much active, and a withdrawal under its fire with badly damaged ships and difficult navigation would have been very difficult; the alternative would have been to wait for a change of wind. However, while the truce spared British as well as Danish lives, it was clear by this time that Nelson had won the battle and Copenhagen was now open to bombardment. When Crown Prince Frederick sent an aide-de-camp, Hans Lindholm, asking for the reason for Nelson's letter and offering a twenty-four hour truce, Nelson was pleased to accept it, writing:

Lord Nelson's object in sending the Flag of Truce was humanity; he therefore consents that hostilities shall cease, and that the wounded Danes may be taken on shore. And Lord Nelson will take his prisoners out of the Vessels, and burn and carry off his prizes as he shall see fit.

Lord Nelson, with humble duty to His Royal Highness the Prince of Denmark, will consider this the greatest victory he has ever gained, if it may be the cause of a happy reconciliation and union between his own most gracious Sovereign, and His Majesty the King of Denmark.

At 4:30p.m., the Danish flagship, the Dannebrog exploded, killing 250 men. On their way out from the channel, three further British ships were grounded, including the Elephant. The Dano-Norwegian ships had been partly manned by volunteers, many of whom had little or no naval experience, so it is not clear what the exact Dano-Norwegian casualties figures were, but estimates vary between 1,135 to 2,215 killed and wounded. The official report by Olfert Fischer estimated the Dano-Norwegian casualties to be between 1,600 and 1,800 killed and wounded. Of the Danish ships, three escaped, two sank, one exploded, eleven taken and burnt, and one, the Holsteen, added to the Royal Navy and renamed HMS Nassau. According to the dispatches from Nelson and forwarded by Parker to the Admiralty, British casualties were 264 killed and 689 wounded.

[edit] Aftermath

The next day, Nelson landed in Copenhagen to open negotiations. Colonel Stewart, a commander reported that "the population showed an admixture of admiration, curiosity and displeasure". In a two-hour meeting with the Crown Prince (who spoke English), Nelson was able to secure an indefinite armistice and tried to convince the Prince of British protection against the Russians. Negotiations continued by letter and on the 8th April Nelson returned in person with a formal agreement. The one sticking point was a sixteen week armistice to allow action against the Russians. At this point one of the Danes turned to another and said in French (perhaps thinking that he would not be understood) that disagreement might lead to a renewal of hostilities. "Renew hostilities!" responded Nelson, and turning to his interpreter said "Tell him that we are ready in a moment; ready to bombard this very night!" Hurried apologies followed (the British fleet was now in positions that would allow the bombardment of Copenhagen) and agreement was reached and signed the next day. The armistice was reduced to fourteen weeks, but during it Armed Neutrality would be suspended and the British were to have free access to Copenhagen. Danish prisoners were also paroled. In the final hour of negotiations, the Danes found out (but not the British) that Tsar Paul had been assassinated, which made the end of the League of Armed Neutrality very likely. The final peace agreement was then signed on 23 October 1801.

News of Parker's lack of vigour had reached London, and on the 5 May he was recalled and ordered to hand his command over to Nelson. He sailed to Karlskrona and successfully intimidated the Swedish fleet to stay in the port. Leaving six ships-of-the-line there, he arrived at Reval on 14 May to find that the ice had melted and the Russian fleet departed for Kronstad. He also found out that negotiations for the ending of the Armed Neutrality had started and so withdrew on 17 May. As a result of the battle, Lord Nelson was created Viscount Nelson of the Nile.

This was not to be the end of Dano-Norwegian conflict with the British. In 1807 similar circumstances led to another British attack, in the Second Battle of Copenhagen.

[edit] Ships involved

[edit] United Kingdom

Nelson's squadron

Polyphemus 64 (Captain John Lawford)
Isis 50 (Captain James Walker)
Edgar 74 (Captain George Murray)
Ardent 64 (Captain Thomas Bertie)
Glatton 54/56 (Captain William Bligh)
Elephant 74 (flag, Captain Thomas Foley)
Ganges 74 (Captain Thomas Francis Fremantle)
Monarch 74 (Captain James Robert Mosse)
Defiance 74 (2nd flag of Thomas Graves, Captain Richard Retalick)
Russell 74 (Captain William Cuming)
Bellona 74 (Captain Thomas Boulden Thompson)
Agamemnon 64 (Captain Robert Devereux Fancourt)
Désirée 36 (Captain Henry Inman)
Amazon 32/38 (Captain Henry Riou)
Blanche 36 (Captain Graham Eden Hamond)
Alcmène 32 (Captain Samuel Sutton)
Jamaica 24 (Captain Jonas Rose)
Arrow (ship-sloop, Captain William Bolton)
Dart (ship-sloop, Captain John Ferris Devonshire)
Cruizer (brig-sloop, Captain James Brisbane)
Harpy (brig-sloop, Captain William Birchall)
Discovery (bomb)
Explosion (bomb)
Hecla (bomb)
Sulphur (bomb)
Terror (bomb)
Volcano (bomb)
Zebra (bomb)
Otter (fireship)
Zephyr (fireship)

Parker's reserve

London 98 (flag, Captains William Domett and Robert Walker Otway)
St George 98 (Captain Thomas Masterman Hardy)
Warrior 74 Captain Charles Tyler)
Defence 74 (Captain Henry Paulet)
Saturn 74 (Captain Robert Lambert)
Ramillies 74 (Captain James William Taylor Dixon)
Raisonnable 64 (Captain John Dilkes)
Veteran 64 (Captain Archibald Collingwood Dickson)

[edit] Denmark-Norway

Fischer's division (order north - south. Only Siælland and Holsteen were in good condition)
Prøvesteenen 52/56 (3-decker battleship)
Wagrien 48/52 (2-decker battleship)
Rendsborg 20 (pram)
Nyeborg 20 (pram)
Jylland 48/54 (2-decker battleship)
Sværdfisken 18/20 (radeau)
Kronborg 22 (frigate)
Hajen 18/20 (radeau)
Dannebrog 60 (flag, 2-decker battleship)
Elven 10
Grenier's float/Floating Battery No. 1 20
Aggershus 20 (cavalry transport)
Siælland 74 (2-decker battleship)
Charlotte Amalia 26 (East Indiaman)
Søehesten 18 (radeau)
Holsteen 60 (battleship)
Indfødsretten 64 (2-decker battleship)
Hielperen 16 (frigate)
Steen Bille's division
Elephanten 70
Mars 64
Sarpen
Nidelven
Danmark
Trekroner (fortress) 69
Iris
Nykøbing
Aalborg
Christiansund
Arendel
Langesund
Odense
Flensborg
Stege
Stavaern
Viborg
Naskau

[edit] References

• Dudley Pope, The Great Gamble: Nelson at Copenhagen (1972)
• Tom Pocock, Horatio Nelson, Pimlico (1987)
• N.A.M.Roger, Horatio Nelson in [[Dictionary of National Biography]], Oxford (2004)
• Naval wars in the Baltic 1553-1850 (1910) - R. C. Anderson
• Lauring, Palle (1972). Billeder af Danmarks historie. Copenhagen: Palle Lauring og Lademann Forlagsaktieselskab.
• Nelson Society website which has transcriptions of the original British and Danish documents.
• Account including maps of the Battle of Copenhagen
• Lindeberg, Lars (1974). De så det ske: Englandskrigene 1801-14. Copenhagen: Lademann Forlagsaktieselskab.
• Great Britain's unprovoked assault on the neutral Danish-Norwegian kingdom from the Danish Naval History website
• Timeline of the battle from British point of view
• Consulatets og Keiserdømmets Historie af A. Thiers. Forhenværende Premierminister, Deputeret og Medlem af det franske Academi. Efter det Franske ved J. C. Magnus. Andet Bind (1845). Copenhagen: Brødrene Berling.
• Denmark and Great Britain Exhibition from the Orlogsmuseet.

Coordinates: 55°42′10″N, 12°36′48″E